Saladax Biomedical, Inc., a privately held company developing and commercializing novel diagnostic tests, today announced the commercial launch of the MyImatinib™ test. MyImatinib is part of the Saladax line of MyCare™ diagnostic tests that determine a patient’s exposure to chemotherapy in an effort to improve and personalize dosing.

The MyCare tests are simple blood tests that provide oncologists with specific information about each patient’s exposure to chemotherapy, helping the doctor to make informed decisions on drug dose adjustments, with the goals of maximizing the therapy’s effectiveness and limiting its potential side effects. The MyImatinib tests will be managed through the Saladax Biomedical Laboratories (SBL), the CLIA-certified division of Saladax Biomedical.

“We’re very excited to expand our portfolio of chemotherapy tests to include MyImatinib,” said Kevin Harter, Chairman, President and CEO of Saladax Biomedical. “Our own analysis shows that, in general, 50% of patients are not receiving an optimal chemotherapy dosage which reduces the effectiveness of the treatment or causes significant toxicity.” Imatinib is used in the treatment of multiple cancers, and is marketed in the United States by Novartis as Gleevec®. MyImatinib joins the Saladax portfolio of tests that currently include My5-FU™, MyPaclitaxel™ and MyDocetaxel™. The MyCare tests are designed to provide oncologists with accurate, convenient and reliable information regarding Imatinib exposure levels.

“MyImatinib enables oncologists to administer tailored, personalized doses to chronic myeloid leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients, allowing for optimal drug exposure and adherence over the course of their treatment,” added Harter. SBL anticipates expanding its menu of testing services to include more than a dozen new chemotherapy exposure optimization tests that Saladax Biomedical is currently developing.